


His Little Bandit

by Setheris



Category: Borderlands, Tales from the Borderlands - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Little Rhys, Medicinal Drug Use, Not a bandit!Rhys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-23
Updated: 2016-02-10
Packaged: 2018-05-03 00:14:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5269322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Setheris/pseuds/Setheris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Vault Hunters left Handsome Jack to die alone at Hero's Pass.<br/>But Jack is too stubborn to die.<br/>And little Rhys is too curious for his own good.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Dear readers,  
> thanks for tuning in! This idea came literally out of nowhere.  
> It needed to be written but behold:  
> I'm really sleep deprived because of this and I don't have any energy left to detect any anomalies in my story. Please point out any major grievances and I'll correct any mistakes... later. :D  
> Thank you.

"We are almost there, puppy!" Rhys called out as he ran up a small hill, huffing and puffing from the exertion and the heat. A red coloured Skag pup was yipping excitedly and following right at his heels. Getting here was a big risk for them both, but if the rumours are true than the reward would be worth it.

The Hero's Pass was a dangerous and lava filled road especially for a small boy like Rhys but it wasn't any different than the other places he dared to travel. Danger was danger, everywhere he went. There was nothing else to it in his young mind.

Rhys was a proud scavenger and nomad. Even though he still hadn't reached the double digits, he was smart and resourceful enough to survive in this harsh world filled with people and animals that would love to take a bite out of him.

Yes, more often than not would he go through the garbage dumps of the small and bigger cities of Pandora, but he had and would never beg for food! Because he was a big boy now, at least Tiny Tina had said so. If you don't have a mommy or a daddy to take care of you than you have to take care of yourself! Or you explode. Well, he thought that the last part was a bit of a lie. People don't just explode... or do they?

But at least he was not lonely anymore with Dukino at his side. He had found the pup, wounded, alone and as hungry as Rhys himself was at the time in Lynchwood a few months ago. He had been riding the train, hidden beneath his star patterned blankie in the last compartment, which was filled with crates that he sadly couldn't open. Rhys only had a few crackers and sausages left and with nothing edible on board he had to climb out the window at the next available station.

Fortunately, it was night time and the town was mostly deserted except for a few patrols. Rhys had been warned by Tina to avoid being seen by the sheriff. She apparently eats bandits for breakfast! Not that Rhys was a bandit, but Tina said it wouldn't matter to the sheriff. If she was hungry enough and would see him scrounging about, she would surely eat him. Rhys didn't want to be eaten, so he sneakily hid behind trash cans and walked in the shadows under the shining moonlight of Elpis. He even had been walking on his tip toes so he could be as sneaky as his idol Zer0! Sometimes he would stumble, but that was because it was dark and he would squeal sometimes excitedly when he found something to eat or other valuable things, but it was not that loud...

So, as he tried to gather as much food as he could (which was really not a lot) in his backpack, he suddenly heard small whimpers coming near by the rails. Even though Rhys knew better than to simply walked towards the sound without any kind of weapon, he had also the braveness of the clueless and the curiosity of cats. Stumbling down the path, the whimpers were getting louder. Now he could make out small rustling movements next to a small hill of junk.

As he stepped on a can, the whimpers abruptly stopped. The form that was hidden behind a pile of broken kitchenware was trembling and making little hitching motions. Rhys was now certain that whatever the creature was, grew scared due of him making noise and startling it. Rhys had approached it slowly while babbling reassurances that he wouldn't hurt it if it didn't hurt him and then he had made himself even smaller by sitting down. As he chattered and cooed at the creature, it slowly stopped trembling and hobbled at a slow pace towards Rhys. Rhys could finally make out that it was a Skag puppy with a wound on its right hinder leg. Rhys normally avoided skags and other animals, but he felt like he could trust this one. Maybe it was because it was lonely and hurt. No mother or father in sight. Abandoned. Like Rhys. Rhys introduced himself and offered the pup his last sausages while he munched on his cracker. That apparently sealed the deal and the skag never left his side again.

Rhys had been joyful and happy, because he finally found someone that would stay by his side. The next few weeks they grew closer with Rhys as the sole caretaker of Dukino (the pup had led him to a dog house with the name scratched onto it). He patched him up as good as he was able to and shared his food. The pup was grateful and would tickle Rhys with his long tongue at any given opportunity.

They travelled the wastelands together and ever since Dukino healed up, the skag would fiercely protect him from any danger, even other Skags were not safe from Dukino's wrath if they dared to step closer to his charge.

Finding Dukino, was a really a blessing. At night they would cuddle close and share the warmth. And the most important part, for Rhys at least, was that Dukino wanted to stay with him.

Now, they were on a mission. A couple of weeks ago, there were rumours of a Vault being opened. Vault hunters fought the monster successfully and looted everything... but there was a chance that something was left behind or overlooked. Nobody was courageous enough to risk their lives and investigate for themselves. That was Rhys' chance to scavenge something really expensive!

If he could find just one weapon, he could sell it to someone and then he would be rich! He and Dukino would never go hungry again. No more garbage diving, no more belly aches and no more hiding. Rhys would buy so many things and he could also buy Tina something, like a new bunny plushie. She would be sooo happy.

As Rhys was daydreaming about all the loot he would find and the things he would for himself and his friends, Rhys and Dukino finally reached the end of the path. The temperature was high due to the surrounding lava pits. Rhys had shed more and more clothing as they followed the Hero's Pass. Now, finally reaching a stop, Rhys put his backpack with a bit difficulty due to his artificial arm on the ground. His metal hand sometimes had trouble with closing and releasing items, so he had to pry it open with his real hand.

"Duke! Come here, bro, we'll put our backpacks right here. It's too hot to carry everything!" He swiped at his sweaty brow. Dukino strutted over to him and waited until Rhys finished removing the little bag. "Now, go buddy! Find us some loot!"

Dukino immediately pressed his nose on the ground and started to search the area. Rhys wandered in the opposite direction, careful not to get too close to the lava. He had only a weak shield that wouldn't offer him any protection against it. The place was empty except for a few tech stuff lying around. There was even a computer console! He excitedly hurried over. The console was really big but Rhys was able to reach a few buttons. Pressing a few it turned out that the machines were off because there was no electricity.

Rhys was disappointed. He walked around the console and looked for the remains of the vault monster, but he could only find more rocks.

Hours later, exhausted and dejected, Rhys finally let out little sobs as he had lost the last glimmer of hope. There was nothing here! Only useless stuff that didn't even work... Dukino was gently licking his cheeks, it was his way to wipe away his tears. Dukino whimpered in camaraderie as Rhys started to wail.

"I..I-I'm sorry, I-I'm so stu-stupid, Duke!" Rhys cried. "I-I thought... that there was sti-still s-stuff."

After a couple of minutes, where he rubbed at his eyes and sniffled, Rhys took a deep breath and determinedly strapped on his backpack and also tied Dukino's bag on the skag's patient back. Dukino trotted next to him as Rhys started to chatter, a new resolve beginning to grow inside of him.

"Okay, it doesn't matter that we didn't find anything here! I mean, we basically skipped a whole lot of abandoned containers and buildings on the way! There must be something there!"

They really hadn't checked out anything they encountered on the path, Rhys had been too focused and excited to see the place where one of his favorite Vault hunters slayed a monster. Actually, his hero didn't do it on his own. Zer0 had help from his team of other Vault hunters but Rhys didn't know them that well. Zer0 was the coolest anyway, Rhys blushed, but that could be contributed to the heat... or not.

It took half an hour to come across the first building on their way back. Bullet holes were scattered across the outer walls, dark stains tarnishing the yellow and white colored exterior.

Rhys paid it no mind, he was too eager again to connect the dots, he instead started to search for a door. Dukino sniffed at the stains, huffing lightly and sat down on his rear, diligently watching Rhys run around.

"I found the door, but it's not working! I can't open it..." Rhys called out. "Oh, there is a window! Duke, come!"

Dukino obediently strutted over, tilting his head at his owner, as he tried to jump and grasp the edges of the opening.

"I'm too small!" Rhys pouted, crossing his arms until an idea sprang to his mind. "Dukino, I need your help. Please let me stand on your back!"

Dukino huffed in answer, coming closer, he stood still as Rhys climbed up on his back, mindful of the bony armour plates, they could quite hurt when they poke you. Rhys jumped from Dukino's back and triumphantly climbed through the window.

The jump down wasn't so bad. He would be able to use the window as exit too, because there were boxes inside the dark place he was in. Dukino let out a worried bark as he realised that he wouldn't be able to follow Rhys.

"Don't worry, Duke! I'll be fine! I'm going to search now!" Rhys exclaimed. "Just wait until I'm back, bro!"

Rhys turned his small light on that was embedded in his mechanical hand. He could now see a lot more in this room and it wasn't so scary anymore. Rhys squared his shoulder and explored the boxes. They were all empty and each one of them were labelled with a huge yellow H. Come to think of it, he had seen this symbol plenty of times, but he had forgotten what it meant. Shrugging and not really caring about the mystery letter, he went on his way. His small steps echoing around him in the empty halls. _This is not scary, there are no ghosts, not scary..._ Rhys came to a stop as he arrived at a T-junction. Rhys contemplated if he should go right or left, swinging his flashlight to one hallway to the other, he suddenly saw something on the ground.

There was a trail of weird dark blotches leading to the left. He looked behind him to the hallway he had come from and noticed that he had already followed those stains and most likely stepped on them the whole time. _Ew. It could be poop._ Nonetheless, he couldn't let go of his own curiosity and decided to go the left, carefully jumping over the stains and making a game out of it. He felt a bit refreshed walking inside the building, it wasn't hot here in comparison to outside.

A couple of minutes later he came across a ransacked room, tables were overturned and drawers carelessly left open. Rhys peeked inside of every drawer and looked beneath the various strewn objects. _Nothing I could use_...

He noted that the little dark stains were everywhere, even inside the drawers. Rhys also found two hand prints on one table sheet. Running his fingers through is hair, he tried to find his trail again. He luckily discovered it, it led him into another small hallway. The air was... smelly. Rhys scrunched up his nose but still explored further.

The blotches finally led him to a door. Rhys suddenly had the feeling that he reached the end of it. Rhys took a deep breath and... regretted it, because it really stank right now. Coughing a bit he reached out and opened the door. He immediately covered his nose as he was met with a fresh wave of putrid smell.

Brave as ever, he braced himself and entered the place. It was the darkest yet, every window was covered up, the floor was littered with empty snack wrappers, there were buckets of _something_ standing in one corner, a jacket was bunched up in another corner and finally... there was a person huddled on a bed.

Rhys let out a little squeak, pressing his hand against his mouth to suppress any other noise, he waved his flashlight in the direction of the person. _Is he...or she dead?_

He stood very still and observed the hulking mass. Rhys let out a relieved sigh as he spotted slight movements and he could also distinctly hear him/her breathe. He couldn't see their faces because he was too far away and the person also was covered in blankets.

Walking slowly closer he reached out a hand to touch the person on the shoulder. He let out a startled scream as a hand shot out of the blankets and clamped around his flesh hand, he was pulled and thrown down the bed. Another hand closed around his throat, making him whimper in fright.

Terrified he looked into the eyes of his assailant. It was a scarred man, his face was dirty and sweaty, his beard unkempt, with eyes as mismatched as his own. The man narrowed his eyes at him, taking Rhys in, he finally spoke.

"What kind of fucking midget bandit are you?" Squeezing his hand slightly as he closed in to look at Rhys' face more closely, the man let out a laugh. "Oh, fuck, wait, you're just a kid."

"I-I'm sorry, sir, I t-thought you were dead or hurt!" Rhys squeaked. "I-I wanted to check. j-just in case!"

"Oh, god, it squeaks." The man let go of his throat but still hovered over him. "What the fuck is a brat like you doing here?"

"I-I wanted to see if..if there is some l-loot left, from when they opened the, the vault, sir!" Rhys stammered as the man narrowed his eyes at him.

"Oh, how cute, the little bandit wanted some loot." The man sneered at him. "Where are your bandit parents? Maybe I'll teach them a lesson in keeping their spawn in line instead of letting them wander around and disturbing people from their sleep!"

The man slightly shook him, but Rhys didn't care.

"I'm n-not a bandit!" He loudly exclaimed, terror momentarily forgotten. "I'm a scavenger!"

"You are a little shit, that's what you ar– argh..." The man suddenly collapsed on him, Rhys yelped as the weight suddenly dropped on him. He pushed against the other man. He didn't react. Curiously, Rhys poked his nose and cheeks. But again, no reaction. The man just breathed heavily. _He fainted!_ Rhys squirmed out of the collapsed man unintended embrace and stood up. Shining his flashlight down on him, he pondered why he had fainted.

Rhys gently reached out to touch his cheek again. Before he had found Tina and Dukino, he had looked like this too. _He must be hungry... and thirsty too..._

Rhys had a decision to make. The man could be dangerous and he could hurt him, but he hadn't done anything bad yet, he was just startled because Rhys woke him up... and he had let go of his throat, when Rhys explained himself...

_Hmm, but he is really rude!_ Calling him a bandit! That was really not nice and he said a lot of bad words too...

Sighing, Rhys knew, that he had to help him. The man was just like Dukino. Hurt, hungry and alone. Rhys had to do something.

Maybe...just maybe, the man could be another friend.

With a sudden smile on his face, Rhys was filled with new determination.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suddenly got a bit self-conscious about my writing. Trying to get over that.  
> This chapter got edited so many times, I think it got worse.  
> So, before I butcher it any further... Here it is!
> 
> Warnings: Some depressing thoughts, implied suicide, violence

After the rude man had collapsed, Rhys picked up the blanket that fell from the bed during their tussle. Holding it just barely in his fingers, he dared to bow his head to sniff at the filthy looking cover.

 _Eww, that's stinky!_ He almost dropped it. Looking at the unconscious man and then the blanket with a bit of a mischievous glint in his mismatched eyes, Rhys shrugged his shoulders and slowly enveloped him with it.

The guy stank too, so it wouldn't make any difference to him. _I'm so not going to give him my blankie!_ He scratched his skin, it felt icky and he really wanted to take a bath, but it would mean wasting water.

_What should I do now?_

Rhys had managed to pick up a lot of food and drinks before he arrived here. A portion of it was already gone now, used up during the journey even though he tried to eat only a little of it but he didn't expect the heat and the rocky road to deplete his energy so fast. He also expected that the man would need more food than Rhys himself, due to his sheer size. The man must have been starving for some time too, he thought to himself as he looked at the empty dust-filled wrappers.

Dukino was not the best hunter since he was still little too, but generally they would come across some animal cadavers that weren't completely gnawed down to the bones and Dukino would devour the left-over squishy, foul-smelling bits while Rhys sat back a few feet away from him, scrunching up his nose and pouting the whole time.

The first time Dukino did this, the young Skag had immediately dragged him to the bloody corpse of a Rakk and tried to get him to eat it too. Confronted with the smelly innards, Rhys puked up what little he had inside his stomach. Unfortunately right onto Dukino's buffet. Rhys had sobbingly apologized and scolded the pup profusely at the same time, while Dukino stared at him with a tilt to his head in confusion. After Rhys had calmed his unsettled tummy down, he almost puked again as Dukino nonchalantly proceeded to eat the rotting flesh uncaring of the chunky bits of vomit that seasoned his meal, waggling his tiny tail the whole time. Afterwards, He spent a lot of time to train Dukino _not_ to drag him along whenever he noticed any dead animals lying around. It wasn't the last time that Rhys had puked because of him, but in the end it was worth it. For the sake of his stomach.

Rhys rummaged around his backpack and pulled out all the food and drinks he had left on put the goods on the floor. He kneeled down to take a closer look at the edibles. He had three bottles of water, one of them already half empty, a few candy bars he got from a nice old lady as an apology, when she had almost run him over on her bike. Rhys also had some old bread, snacks and some blue, funny-looking fruits he found awhile back. He had tried a piece of it and waited but his tummy never started to ache, so he counted the fruit as safe.

Overall he was a bit disappointed that the food in his backpack and especially the water wouldn't be enough for Dukino, the man and him. Dukino had a few food items and bottles too, but even that was barely anything. Normally, Rhys would get to eat Dukino's share too because of the pup would try to hunt or vulture to appease his hunger.

He needed to scavenge the rest of the buildings that were scattered along Hero's Pass. Judging by the other rooms and the evidence lying around, he guessed that the man had already pilfered everything. So, he definitely should venture out. He picked the items up and left them on a nearby desk. Picking a snack, a candy bar and a full bottle of water, he turned to the sleeping man. Rhys approached him and placed the edibles on the nightstand, still holding the bottle he took a peek at the man.

He was lying on his stomach, the face was turned towards Rhys, the dirt was smudged due to the sweat, the beard was scraggly and he had a few scratches, but those paled in comparison to the big blue scar that curved in the middle of his face. This close, Rhys could make out soft groans coming from the man. _He must be in pain..._ Rhys pushed the man, trying to turn him around, so he could sleep in a more comfortable position. It was a tiring process and every time he jostled him, he heard him whimper, it made Rhys feel guilty, so he started to babble.

"I-I just want you to feel better! I don't want to hurt you... but you can't sleep on your face!" Rhys panted, pushing and pulling at the man. "Dude, you are heavy!"

He finally managed to turn him over. Rhys hopped on the bed, clutching the water bottle and holding the opening against one of his cleaner rags. He tilted it carefully, letting the cloth soak up a little water, he put the bottle next to the food on the nightstand.

He gently used the rag to clean out any visible wounds on the face. At the feel of something wet and cool on his face, the man unconsciously turned towards the unexpected comfort.

Rhys took his time and murmured reassurances to him, while he wiped the dirt away.

"Everything is going to be fine... I...I will go find more food for us and then you are going to heal up and you can take me piggy back riding! And you will get to meet my puppy and you won't be hungry anymore. Maybe if your stomach is full, you will not be mean anymore." Rhys said soothingly. "We will take care of you, don't worry. I'll be your doctor and you'll be running around in no time... See, you look so much better now."

He put the now dirty rag away, taking hold of his _patient_ , Rhys gently opened his mouth and slowly let a trickle of water run pour inside of it. He was worried that he would choke, but the man drank greedily without any trouble. Smiling happily, he reached out to brush away a few strands, but making contact with the dirty matted hair, his smile turned into a grimace. _Ewww!_

"I have to go now, Duke will be upset if I don't check up on him. So, you mister, are going to stay here and sleep. I left you a bit of food on the table, so you'll have to eat it. But do it slowly, or your stomach will hurt!" Rhys said. "I'll be back, I need to explore the area!"

Rhys hopped off the bed and left the man to sleep.

 

* * *

 

At the sound of chiming laughter, he turned around with a bright smile, reflexively opening his arms as a small giggling mass was hurdling itself at him, he swung the soft projectile around and then he swung it up on his hips, holding it safely in his arms. Delicate hands clutched at his face. He looked into the familiar blue eyes of his daughter, she was smiling widely at him, revealing a rather big tooth gap.

Overcome with sudden sentiment, he clutched her tighter to him, relishing in the small and familiar weight.

"Daddy! Don't squeeze me too hard!" Angel complained. "I can't breathe!"

"Buuut you are sooo cute, baby girl! If I can't squeeze you, then I just have to gobble you up!" He laughed, snapping his teeth together and slowly getting closer to fake-bite her. Angel squealed and put her hands on his face, trying to push him away. "There will be no mercy for this cutie!"

"Stop, Daddy, please stop!" Angel said, giggling. He obeyed, laughing slightly at her red face. He gently laid her head on his shoulder, humming her favourite lullaby, he let her calm down.

"I missed you, daddy." She murmured to him. He stroked her dark hair, inhaling the scent of her.

"I missed you too, Angelcakes."

"Why did you leave?" She asked with small sniff.

"I... I didn't leave, cutie pie." A slight frown on his face, he placed a kiss on the back of her hair. "I would never leave you..."

As she started to cry, he closed his eyes and clutched her tighter.

"Shh, everything is going to be fine." He murmured, he balled his hands tightly into fists as a wave of anger suddenly came over him. "Everything is goi–"

Angel let out a choked gurgle, his eyes snapped open immediately to his hands that were fastened around her fragile throat. He had lost control over himself.

"D-don't squeeze me too h-hard, J-Jack!" She gasped out. "I-I can't... breathe!"

Jack couldn't speak, couldn't stop as his fingers clenched even further.

"S-stop, D-dad, please, stop!" She pleaded with him, but Jack could only think about the pathetic sound she will make, when he crushed her traitorou–

With a gasp, Jack opened his eyes. He was sweating, laying on his back and in a world of pain, but it was a _lot_ better than the scenario he was in before. Confused as to why his vision was blurry and only half there, he pawed at his face. His fingers came in contact with his sweaty, scarred skin and as he rubbed at his eyes, he finally noticed that he was crying. He wiped his face.

He turned to the side, reaching out to the bedside table, he looked for his mask but instead of making contact with the synthetic skin of his grafted face, he accidentally pushed a bottle off of it. He tried turning on the light but the lamp didn't work. Something didn't smell right... no, really, it stank in here.

Jack tried to sit up, but his movements were sluggish and his whole side, scratch that, his whole body hurt. As he dizzily clutched his abdomen, his mind finally came back online.

"..."

He couldn't speak for a moment, thoughts of his dead daughter running around his head, the failure of using the Warrior to kill her killers and to finally clean this planet from the bandit infestations and to _fix it_... He had lost, he had lost _everything_. It all came crushing down and he felt a lot heavier. He didn't want to think about it any longer.

Jack turned his attention back to his surroundings. Still, the same shitty quarters of one of his employees, nothing changed–

Wait a moment.

Jack heaved himself up on two shaky legs, walking to the windows he opened them up to let the outside light illuminate the room.

There was food on the night stand and even more of it on a desk at the other end of the room. He eagerly stepped closer to the food, not caring about their mysterious appearance, he ripped up a candy bar and devoured it in seconds. Licking his lips, he picked up the fallen bottle and drank the contents too. He hadn't had fresh water in a long time.

His stomach eagerly accepted the offerings and as his hunger peaked, he tore through the food, stuffing his face and groaning in pleasure. It was a matter of minutes. All that was left was GumGum fruit, another candy bar and some water.

Jack sighed contently. Feeling full for the first time he settled back on the bed and took stock of his injuries.

The Vault hunters had made a sport of it at the end. Making him bleed and hurt, but never finishing. He had been close to begging at the end for them to finally end it, he had been too deep in pain, humiliation and grieve to care about keeping up his superiority over a bunch of _bandits_. They left him to his ravings. But to add insult to injury fucking _Lilith_ punched him in the face, _again_. Jack got knocked out and woke up sometime later.

Jack had been surprised. His body was practically mangled and he most likely had a concussion. He had crawled all the way to one of Hyperion bases, bleeding and hurting but with a stubbornness to survive, that had surprised even him. Thinking about it, it made him wonder how he had been able to accomplish that feat without collapsing once.

His stomach had a deep gash, a leftover gift from the haiku bastard. Clean gunshots, to his shoulders and left leg, most likely caused by the smarmy Commando or the freak Berserker or _both_. The blue siren had phaselocked him. Jack was dropped as she released him and he had twisted his ankle on impact while suffering other minor injuries due to her siren power.

Jack really didn't know why they didn't put a bullet into his head. He expected it from the red-haired menace at least, a classic you-killed-my-lover-now-I'll-kill-you-move, but she... didn't. Lilith didn't say one word when he saw her fist flying, he couldn't even flinch, so weakened was he.

They took his mask and his weapons, his _wallet_ , that meant they fucking _molested_ his unconscious body in the search for valuables. His depleted and broken pocket watch shield was still in his possession as were his clothes. Yeah. At least he wasn't naked.

All of a sudden, he heard a noise coming from the hallway. Footsteps. He squared up, fists clenched as the pitter patter of _something_ came closer and closer. He silently stood up and hid next to the entrance. In his state, Jack had to take advantage any way he could get...

The door opened.

Jack expected a bandit or stray animal. But it was something else entirely.

A small child, barely reaching Jack's hips, walked in. It was a boy with a mop of brown, slightly curly hair. He was dressed in knee-length shorts and a shirt that was way too long for a child that size, it was at least partially tucked in. His clothing was old and worn, there were patches everywhere and he could see some rips and loose threads. The backpack was the only thing that seemed sturdy enough. Overall the kid looked homeless, even the psychos of Pandora were better dressed.

Jack could only gape at the child. Flabbergasted.

The kid didn't notice him in the darkness, too focused on reaching the end of the room. He used an incorporated flashlight to guide his way to Jack's bed with a spring in his step.

"I'm back! I found some..." The kid started to say, coming to a sudden halt as he finally noticed that the bed was empty. "Where.. where did you go?"

Something about the voice was familiar to Jack.

He observed the boy as he anxiously shuffled the filthy blanket around. The child then dropped down to the ground as if he expected Jack to be hiding beneath it, the backpack he had on almost fell over his head.

Jack rolled his eyes and approached the kneeling boy without making a sound. He grabbed him by the shoulders and picked him up, groaning in pain as he aggravated his wounds, but he didn't let go of the child.

As hands suddenly descended upon his shoulders, Rhys let out a startled scream. He was turned around and suddenly he was airborne. It was disorienting. Fearing the worst, he dared to open his eyes.

Rhys let out a sigh of relief as he came face to face with the missing man. Who was holding him away from his body as if Rhys had a disease. _I'm not the one who is stinky!_ For a moment they just stared at each other. It was... weird.

"Hi!" Rhys squeaked as the man didn't say anything. "I-I'm Rhys. Nice to meet you!"

Rhys wiggled around, automatically trying to give his hand for the man to shake, but it was impossible. The man had restricted him in his movements. Rhys could feel the arms trembling, trying to keep him up.

"Kiddo, what the fuck are you doing here." The man put him down again, too tired to keep him up. But he shifted his grip to his flesh arm. Clamping down tightly he took a seat on the bed. Rhys had to stand in front of him. "And answer fast, I'm not really a _patient_ guy."

"I'm...I'm your new friend! I'll help you get better and then you can meet my other friends!" Rhys answered enthusiastically. "I left you something to eat and to drink, so you don't have to die anymore!"

The kid turned his head towards the night table, slowly widening his eyes at the empty state of it, he twisted his upper body to look at the desk, than he slowly turned back to Jack. Mouth slightly gaping, Jack could see the wheels turning in his head.

Jack almost laughed at the look of outrage on his face. He must admit the kid was cute. Kinda stupid and naive, like all kids are at that age. Except for... no, he didn't want to think about it.

"You, you... ate... everything!"

"Nah, kid, there is still some fruit left. Which I will eat later, you wanna watch?" Jack said in a mocking voice.

Rhys glared at him silently, if the man wasn't injured and if he wasn't keeping him still right now he would kick him in the shin and run away.

"So, Reece–" Jack began.

"My name is _Rhys._ "

"That's what I said–"

"No, you _didn't_!"

"Whateeever, it sounds the same, there is no differ–"

"It _doesn't_."

"I really, really don't _care_. Listen, Reese–"

" _Rhys_!"

"Okay, little boy, interrupt me one more time and I will–"

"You will do what?"

Jack narrowed his eyes at him, eyebrow twitching dangerously. Rhys innocently looked back with wide eyes, one delicate eyebrow raised in challenge. Oh, Jack could practically _feel_ the smugness radiating from the boy.

"...you cocky little _shit_."

Rhys was suddenly lifted up again and put over a knee, his hands reflexively reached out to grab something, startled by the sudden shift in his equilibrium. His feet were tangling in the air. His flesh hand took hold of one of the bed sheets while his other hand grabbed the man's pant leg. The unfamiliar position frightened him.

Jack was just about ready to ream the boy a new one for taking the piss out of him, his right hand raised and itching to deliver a little bit of what he called rough justice, when he felt the boy tremble. Something about the way the kid clutched at him with too delicate fingers in trepidation, absolutely failing to hide his little sobs... It was really _pathetic_ and normally he would be delighted... Now, this child's reaction, it _resonated_ inside of him, it made him do something uncharacteristic... he... hesitated.

There was even a _miniscule_ part inside of him that felt guilty about terrifying the kid....Nah, it might be just constipation from eating all the food.

Rhys tried to hide his teary face by pressing it against the man's leg. He didn't know what he would do to him, but he was never hurt like this before, by someone he thought of as potential friend. Someone he had tried to help. Tightening his small hands, he waited for the strike to come. At the feel of pressure on his back, he flinched hard, letting out a loud cry.

Jack didn't expect the kid to cringe that badly. _I didn't even do anything!_ He sighed, slightly irked as he had already unconsciously started to slowly stroke the boy's back up and down. The kid froze for a second and it took quite awhile for him to calm down.

Jack didn't notice that he had started to hum while he soothed the boy. The nice sounds were able to cheer Rhys a bit up and he even started to clumsily hum along.

For a few minutes, Jack and Rhys were in their own world, both basking in the sudden serenity.

Then Rhys started to get uncomfortable. He moved a bit and tried to sit up, but the man didn't let him.

"My-my tummy hurts..." Rhys complained.

Jack snapped out of it, halting his movements, he looked at the wriggling child and decided to turn him, then helping him up, so he could sit in his lap.

The kid clutched his metal fingers into Jack's shirt while he avoided Jack's gaze in a sudden bout of shyness. Jack didn't want to cause the kid to have another breakdown, so he let his gaze wander. It gave him the opportunity to think about what he would do next.

It was slightly funny. Before the brat's arrival, Jack had been on the verge of giving up. Yeah, it was that bad.

Jack knew that initially he had been extremely lucky for surviving in this shithole for weeks. The first building had everything he needed: Medical equipment, a bed, some edibles and a few gallons filled with water. A good start, he figured, he could always scavenge later, when the wounds had scabbed over and moving vertically would be feasible.

At first, it was anger and the feeling of righteousness that spurred him to keep on going. After all, a hero didn't just _die_. Oh, Jack had lost the battle, but the war was _clearly_ not over. Jack was still alive, he was still the fucking CEO of Hyperion. And he was vengeful.

He spent the days recovering and plotting, alone, with only thoughts to entertain him. Jack imagined himself rising from the ashes, hunting down those arrogant _child-killers_ and wiping off their fucking smirks with a shotgun. Or a knife, whatever was available. Jack would be feared and revered as he had defied death to hunt down his foes and deliver justice.

Ah, sweet justice, sweet _revenge_.

But...

As the days and weeks passed by, Jack stopped getting better. He got worse. Some of his wounds showed signs of infection and he felt feverish. Jack knew that if he didn't do anything about it, his torture plans would never come to fruition. So, he struggled to find more medication. In the end it was again luck that led him to a secret stash of pain-killers, morphine pills and most importantly antibiotics.

Jack mixed the normal pain-killers with a few antibiotics, shrugging about the dosage. The pain didn't fully go away and as he laid there on the bed surrounded by his own filth, he thought to himself _Why not?_ He took one morphine pill and halved it with his teeth, swirling it with some water down his throat and just... just _let go_. For once.

For awhile, he didn't feel any pain. And it was so _freeing_.

He couldn't stop. But with the relieve, something else came along. Guilt, doubt, hatred, loss, _grieve_.

Sometimes, he thought, Angel would be standing next to him, smiling, always smiling or Nisha would gently lay a kiss on his cheek, just right at the edge of the mask. He would try to speak, but he couldn't and both of them would look at him with such sadness, with bittersweet disappointment, that he would gnash his teeth and bite his lips, not caring if that hurt. It couldn't compare to what he felt, when they turned their backs on him. Disappearing. Leaving.

Sometimes he could hear familiar voices, but he was never able to understand what they were saying. It would start with a whisper, some laughter and good feelings and evolve into screams of agony and despair. Sounds he caused, sounds he made. Jack could hear himself laughing, madly, in response.

Eventually, there were no pills to take anymore. He fought the infection and won. He survived but ultimately it didn't really matter. Jack had no food and no strength left. Just water. This was it.

He would suffer, slowly starve and then die in the shambles of his hubris.

Yeah. Jack was admitting it. What else was there now? He lost everyone he cared about. Always thinking that everything he did was in order to protect his daughter. He wanted her safe and sound. Ironically, it was him who drove her to...

Jack didn't want to think about it more. It was done. He was alive and she was not. They were not. It was his fault _, it was his fau_ –

A small warm hand touching his cheek startled him out of his depressing thoughts. He looked down into the sympathetic doe eyes of the small bandit child. _Because everyone on this fucking planet is a fucking ban_ –

"Don't cry..."

"Heroes don't cry, pumpkin." Jack laughed. But he stopped as the boy stubbornly but gently rubbed at Jack's good eye, then showing him his slightly wet fingers, while turning on his flashlight too. They both stared at the evidence. One face was gleeful, while the other frowned.

"You are not a hero then." Rhys said triumphantly and then he glared at Jack. "And I'm not a pumpkin, I'm Rhys!"

Before Jack could say anything snarky in reply, Rhys put his arm around his neck and embraced him. Jack didn't move, too stunned at that little act.

"It's okay to cry. No matter who you are." The boy leaned back to look at Jack. "Well, I still don't know your name. You must have one! My puppy had one too!"

This close and with the bright light that was coming from his artificial limb, Jack could make out the beautiful blue hues of his left eye. He knew this colour very well.

Jack couldn't stop reaching out to take hold of the boy. Jack ignored the initial flinch, the child had been manhandled by him a lot, so he could understand the kids reaction. He guided the small head with his left hand towards his shoulder, holding him up with his other. He held him close and just breathed in.

There was a warm feeling rising up in him as small fingers, flesh and metal ones, clasped around his neck.

"...my name is Jack."


	3. Chapter 3

Jack was being a creep, but he couldn't help himself. He was watching the little boy, Rhys, currently sleeping on Jack's stomach, moving up and down in tune of Jack's breathing.

It was _peaceful_ , it was _calming_.

For the first time in a long while Jack felt somewhat relaxed. But why? After all, the kid was basically a street rat, an enemy, born and influenced by the dirty scum that lived on this planet and Jack... Jack was usually not a nice and cuddly person with the exception of faking intimacy to mindfuck his victims and make them uncomfortable.

Of course, his daughter was a different story, but the older she got and the more powerful Jack became, the less he would spend time with her.

He was ashamed that he couldn't remember the last time he hugged her, when she was still alive. Couldn't remember her last smile...

Jack turned away from his morose thoughts, knowing that it was a rabbit hole waiting for him to trip into and lose himself further.

Jack and Rhys both unexpectedly fell asleep yesterday. Jack had woken up with a painful groan and an unfamiliar pressure on his chest. He had almost pushed the boy away in reflex, but the slack little pixie face and the small thumb inside the little cupid mouth stopped him. Despite that the extra weight on him was aggravating his wounds and one really bony knee was digging right into his bladder, he hadn't moved away.

Angel didn't like sleeping on him, when she was little. She always said that he was too uncomfortable to sleep on.

He gingerly twirled a little lock of hair, careful not to pull too much. The kid was really too trusting and naive. Most likely an orphan or simply abandoned by his fucking bandit family. It would be no surprise, judging by the malnourished body and the way this kid was practically throwing himself at him. Touch-starved but still hesitant and startled when Jack was initiating the contact.

A lost soul among the damned sinners of Pandora.

"Almost like two peas in a pod, aren't we, Rhysie?"

Jack removed the thumb from the boy's mouth, the kid immediately reacted by smacking his lips, trying to chase the appendix but he settled shortly after as Jack stroked soothingly along his slightly frowning eyebrows. Rhys burrowed his head deeper as if to escape from the light touch. Unbeknown to Jack, the corners of his mouth were lifting up at the movement.

"Aren't you the cutest little bandit, aw, you make me wanna _puke_ rainbows." Jack muttered without any real malice. At least not against the boy. He slowly let his fingers travel to the flesh arm. The kid disliked that, flinching away and even starting to whimper in his sleep. With narrowed eyes, he put his hand behind the kid's back, slowly sitting up while trying not to jostle Rhys too much. He had to support himself with his other hand, suppressing groans due to the strain to his body.

Overall he felt better thanks to the food he ingested yesterday. He still had a long road to recovery, but he guessed that he could finally move a bit more. Give his body a little workout from all the lying around. It might take him a week or two until he can finally leave this place for good and march towards the next fast travel point. However, that would only be feasible if he could sustain himself during that time. He definitely needed supplies and a weapon.

He couldn't guess how long he had slept. The 90 hour long Pandorian days had always confused him. In addition to that, Hero's Pass was located in the blight region. An almost barren and ashen wasteland that was always illuminated by the lava flows that erupted throughout the area. Right now, the natural glow reached through the windows, tinting the room in a dim reddish light, making the distinction of night or day impossible.

Jack reached for a few pillows, putting them behind his back, he made himself as comfortable as possible in his state.

The kid was still asleep, only little whines were escaping his mouth as Jack took a closer look at his flesh arm.

Despite the bad lighting, he was able to see dark stains on the otherwise pale and soft skin. The shape of wide fingers. The look of cruel hands. The marks of Handsome Jack.

He balled his right hand into a fist, nostrils flaring, eyes closing. As he calmed down he opened his hand, letting it fall to his side.

Jack looked at the peaceful, unaware child and thought to himself:

_No, not again._

* * *

 

Rhys slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times as he tried to fully wake up. He rubbed at his eyes and let out a huge yawn, showing all of his little milk teeth. He lowered his flesh hand and gripped at the blanket that was covering his body. At the feel of the unfamiliar rough cloth he was immediately alarmed. Hurriedly sitting up, he inspected the blanket.

"That's not my blankie!" Rhys yelled throatily. Confused, he stood up and bounced off the bed. As he took a few shaky steps, he stumbled upon his backpack. He let out a relieved sigh, his _blankie_ was still there, folded up in the bottom of his backpack. Rummaging around, he retrieved one of his water bottles and eagerly drank from it with loud gulps. Satisfied, he tilted his head as he tried to gather his wits. Rhys was not a morning person. He took a look around. The emptiness of the room unsettled him.

"Jack?"

No one answered. He noticed that the fruit was gone, so Jack must have eaten everything _again_. Rhys let out a sigh.

"We could've shared, meanie..."

He wouldn't just leave him, would he? They were friends now and they even cuddled! Tiny Tina never cuddled with him. She always said something about cooties and she _ain't_ that type of girl. Whatever that meant.

Oh, he just missed cuddles. The real warm and cuddly ones.

Of course, Rhys would cuddle with Dukino, sharing warmth and comfort through cold and scary nights, but Dukino was hard and in some places spiky. Rhys would often wake up because the pup would unintentionally poke him with his armour plates. They tried rolling Dukino on his back, with Rhys settling halfway on his stomach, but the pressure would make Duke fart sometimes, which would cause Rhys to run away from the impending stink gas, holding his nose with both hands and whining about it.

Anyways. Jack was human. He didn't have spikes and Rhys really liked how warm he was, when the man had held him in his arms. Jack was perfect cuddle material. Well, he stank, but after a bath, he would surely smell and even look nicer.

Rhys initially thought that Jack wouldn't want to hug him because he was so grumpy.

He sadly let his head hang, Rhys really couldn't remember the last time he was hugged that way. He didn't want to miss it again... But he had to stay positive! Everything would change, now that they found each other!

Rhys gathered all his items and put them back into his backpack. Hefting it up, he trotted happily towards the door.

"Ready or not, here I come!" He giggled in excitement as he took the path back to the exit.

* * *

 

"You really want to play you ugly mutt?! The battle might be lost, but the war is not over! Just wait until I get my hand on a gun! You'll be nothing more than another road kill, you stupid freaky wannabe dog!"

Oh, the rage, indignity and if he was being honest the slither of humiliation. He was a grown ass man standing on a large crate ( _stranded really_ ) with his left trouser leg ripped at the inseam line while his right had already lost the bottom portion of it. All thanks to the little fugly Skag mongrel currently trying to jump up to him to bite him again with his freaking jaws and his razor sharp teeth.

This was _the_ cherry on top of an already shitty day! Let's wind back a little for a bit of exposé.

First of all, the brat! What did Jack care about him anyway. Cute little shit, being all trusting in the face of a dangerous bad man attached with a short temper. Giving him food and taking care of him...Whatever! Bandit boy is desperate, that's what he is. So, he made the smart decision to leave the kid behind, before Jack's mind was further altered and he started to really puke rainbows or something.

Secondly, he spent a freaking long time trying to find an exit. All the doors and windows were barricaded or locked, without electricity he wasn't able to hack any terminals to change that. Jack was already aching on top of his throbbing body to take a long overdue whiff of freedom, he had been inside for far too long! He couldn't wait to leave all of this behind! The sight of an open window ( _finally!_ ) had quickened his pace to the max. Never mind that he was _actually_ moving slightly faster than a snail.

With new found eagerness he had climbed out the window and landed somewhat clumsily on his feet. That alone was a miracle. Straightening his battered clothes, he quickly ran his fingers through his hair and immediately regretted it, when he felt the greasy strands. Combined with his ruined clothes and the itching beard, he must looked like a hobo. All the more reason for him to find another building which would thankfully house a functioning bath and toilet. No more shitting and pissing in a bucket for this fine gentleman!

Just as he was slowly setting one foot after the other in the direction of the next facility, he heard the pitter patter of little feet nearby. He turned around, expecting to see the kid coming around the corner, a reprimand already on his tongue for stalking him, but instead he was met with the beady eyes of a red and white coloured Skag pup. It stopped its approach, tilting its head at Jack as if the sight of him was puzzling.

Weird, the only animals that would and could inhabit Hero's Pass were Rakks. With the location being northeast of Eridium Blight, meeting a stray Bullymong would have made more sense and not even those steroid-filled monstrosities could've never survived for long around here.

For a short time Jack and the newcomer just stared at each other, both of them not moving a muscle. Then the pup opened its maw, revealing a long wormlike tongue and a few sharp little teeth on each jaw. Jack cracked his fingers and moved into a battle stance.

"Isn't this my lucky day... guess I'm having Skag roast tonight!" Jack chuckled nastily. "Come and get me, mutt!"

The Skag pup lowered itself in answer before it took a giant leap, closing in to Jack's position fast. It let out a tiny roar, not at all intimidating and not comparable to the snarl of a fully grown Skag. Really, this would be an easy win. Jack simply stepped out of the way, he had already anticipated the jump, Skags were nothing if not predictable. As the pup landed on his paws, Jack quickly made his move, but as he tried to grasp the meaty neck he was met with laterally protruding spikes around the Skags throat.

Jack immediately let go with a pained hiss, his fingers were scratched and slightly bleeding, but most importantly he lost his advantage. He hadn't noticed the obvious defensive characteristic, but in _his_ defense in all the years of killing Pandora's wildlife, he had never encountered such a rare trait in a Skag that young before. Strangling was not an option here...

"Aren't you a fancy piece of shit, maybe I'll sell your hide t–"

Before he could finish the sentence, the Skag snatched his right leg, growling and increasing the pressure of the bite. The diminutive teeth were sinking in as if Jack's leg was made out of butter. _It. fucking. hurt._

"Fuck–!" Jack growled. "Let go, you stupi– argh!"

Jack stomped on its head with his other leg, accidently scratching himself further in the process. He let out another grunt of pain but at least the Skag had let go without taking a chunk of Jack's flesh. It yowled at him, swinging his head left and right. Right then, Jack noticed that it was munching on his ripped pant leg.

Jack was angry but not stupid. A retreat was the appropriate action here, while the mongrel was still occupied. He wasn't keen on losing any fingers, not to mention that this little scuffle had already drained him of the last bit of energy he had left. He quickly walked up to one crate that was conveniently nearby, heaving himself up with a bit of difficulty.

"Just catching my breath, don't be smug about this, hah. I eat Skags like you for breakfast...really." Jack muttered snidely. He was too exhausted to even raise his voice anymore, what was the point, Skags were too stupid to understand. "You are one lucky son of a taint."

The Skag pup proved his mindlessness by ignoring his mutterings and actually eating the battle won garment piece. It let out a huge burp as it finished its meal and swivelled around until its gaze landed on Jack. Looking at Jack with his little black eyes, it slowly crouched, wiggling its behind and as if someone gave it a signal it promptly sprinted towards him with abundant enthusiasm to eat the rest.

Jack was not impressed, he already estimated how high the pup could jump. True enough, it tried leaping up at him, but it was fruitless. Kept trying though. _Stupid thing_. Jack stood there, arms crossed and pissed off. He was _done_.

And that's how he got here. The mighty Handsome Jack defeated by a Skag mutant. He sat down and scowled at the Skag.

Time passed slowly, the Skag finally stopped with its antics, _finally_ running out of energy and spent the time staring at Jack with its soulless eyes. Jack had hoped that it would lose interest and just leave but apparently his pants were too tasty to ignore.

"Never been one to enjoy the meat that this disease riddled planet has to offer... but I wouldn't mind a Skag roast with a bit of thyme and rosemary..." Jack mused. "Wash it down with a good ole bottle of bourbon..."

He was just starting to immerse himself in his culinary fantasies, when he suddenly heard a noise. The Skag immediately stood up and turned its head to the direction where the sound was coming from. For a brief second, Jack was relieved that he would finally get a chance to flee, but as he was slowly getting up again, trying not to alert the Skag of his movements, the sudden call of his name made his blood in his veins run cold.

"Jack?"

It took Jack a second to realize, who was calling him. Another second for a small figure to appear. Another one for the Skag to take a running leap.

It took a eternity for Jack's frozen body to move.

"RHYS!"

He saw the boy startle at his shout, big mismatched eyes widening as the kid finally noticed the Skag coming towards him.

Jack had jumped from the crate and was running with everything he had towards Rhys, he was so pumped with adrenaline that he didn't feel any aches. There was only static in his head. Only instinct driving him.

"No...!" Rhys exlaimed loudly and the boy just dropped to the ground, covering his head. He should have run.

The Skag landed directly in front of him, jaws wide open, ready to devour the small boy.

"Don't touch him!" Jack bellowed, already knowing he was too late. Of course, he had to stumble over something that was in his path. Jack flailed and couldn't recover his balance due to the momentum. He landed face first onto the dirty ground.

That's when the boy started screaming.

Jack heaved himself up, preparing himself for the gruesome and bloody sight.

He was met with a quite different scenario than he imagined though, which left him flabbergasted.

Yeah, the kid was rolling around, still screaming, but he wasn't being shredded to death in gory detail by a Pandorian beast... no, he was being licked and prodded by the slimy tongue of the assailant. His screams didn't even sound like _screams_ anymore, it was more like the squeals of a piglet or guinea pig interlaced by laughter. The Skag pup slobbered all over the boy, but it mainly tried to get at Rhys' face and neck, which was fiercely protected by his small arms.

"S-Stop! Haha, Duke! O-okay, you win!" Rhys huffed, trying to keep the tongue away from him, his cheeks were turning red and the boy looked like his head would explode. The Skag finally sat on his haunches and preened, as if it was proud of himself. Rhys was still giggling and heaving due to the exertion, but he lovingly stroked the beast's head with his metal hand.

"What. The. Fuck." Jack coughed out. He was still laying immobile on his stomach like someone had shot out his kneecaps. He certainly felt worse than that. The adrenaline flow was ebbing and with it the pain flood returned. Jack wanted to sleep and preferably wake up, when everything would make sense again. This was certainly a fever dream. He dropped his head. _Ow._

"...Jack?" Rhys finally trotted over to the defeated man. Head tilting in the same manner like the now docile Skag pup that followed him.

Jack deigned to turn his head to the side and glared at the confused looking boy, who was kneeling down right next to him.

"Explain." Jack said in a clipped tone.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Explain that." Jack gestured towards the hellhound, who was opening his jaws again, showing him all his sharp teeth. It was mocking him, Jack just knew it.

"Oh! That's Dukino, my bro! I call him Duke, that's his nickname!" Rhys chirped, petting the pup's head again. Turning his gaze on _Duke_ , he spoke to him as if he really was a sentient being.

"Duke, this is Jack. Be nice to him, he can be really grumpy!" Rhys didn't even hesitate in petting Jack's head too, in the same way he did to his pet. Jack looked at Rhys indignantly, mouth open, ready to tear him a new one over this...this rude intimate gesture that he did _not_ appreciate, but Rhys was already pulling a face, as he looked into Jack's eyes and stopped petting him. Ha, so he hadn't lost his mojo after–

" _Ew_! I forgot!" Rhys gagged, showing his tongue as if there was a bad taste inside his mouth as he looked at his greasy fingers, that came from treading his hand through Jack's hair. "Jack, you need to take a bath!"

Rhys pointed at him accusingly. Jack groaned in disbelief.

"You stink!" Rhys then sniffed at himself. " _Ew_ , I stink too! Because we slept together!"

"Kid, the last bit makes me sound like a pedophile."

"Pe...do.. what?"

"Whatever, you don't need to know."

"Fine. Take a bath!" With that Rhys stomped his feet as if that would make his ridiculous order more final. Well, the boy had met his match in terms of stubbornness. Jack would not be moved!

"You take a bath."

Rhys looked like a cute human version of a blowfish, with his puffed up cheeks and the glare that would intimidate no one.

"Jaaaack!"

"Rhysieeee!"

"My name is Rhys!"

"How about cupcake?"

"No! Stop being mean!"

"What, you are the only one who is allowed to dish out nicknames, _kitten_?"

It would have went on until infinity if a interloper hadn't meddled into this serious business. Rhys reacted first and let out a huge gasp, covering his mouth with both of his hands, eyes blown wide. Jack only clued in when he suddenly felt heat spread out on his back, he slowly turned his head to the direction Rhys was looking at.

Beady eyes were staring at him, he swore he could see the mutt gloating as he finished urinating on Jack. Dukino even turned around to scrape the ground with his hind paws with not even a hint of remorse and afterwards the Skag had the gall to waggle his little tail right in front of Jack's face.

If Jack had been at full health, he would have ripped the tail out with his teeth.

"Uh...Jack? Don't be mad, okay? Duke didn't mean it...I think..." Rhys said hesitantly.

Jack was silent as he slowly heaved himself up to get back on his feet. He faced the beast, eyes shadowed, his fingers clenching into fists. The beast tilted his head at him opening his jaws and Jack could now view this as the Skag's way to grin...mockingly.

"Kiddo, how about you turn the other way." Jack said darkly. "I might give you a complex."

"Uh, what are you... going... to do?" Rhys asked him in trepidation. He watched Jack's back and noticed his hands move casually to the front of his pants.

"What I should've done a long time ago."

Well, whatever he was about to do, Rhys would not let him do anything to Dukino. His bro _really_ didn't mean it, he was just... happy to see Jack and got excited and lost control of his bladder. Duke could have reacted worse! Had reacted worse, come to think of it.

Yes, Rhys should be proud of Dukino, the Skag could have went for the man's throat instead.

For some reason, when Rhys was around people, Duke tended to behave more cautiously. When someone would get too close to him, Duke would growl and snarl at them, he bit those who would ignore those warning signs.

_Hmmm._ Maybe he should have warned Jack about Duke's protective side but the first meeting couldn't have gone better!

The sound of a zipper going down made Rhys snap back from his musings, in a split second his feet were already moving past Jack and interrupting their little staring contest.

"Wait!" Rhys bellowed. "Stop whatever you are doing right now!"

"Kid, take a hike or I _will_ consider you collateral damage." Jack sneered at him and proceeded to take his member out. Rhys covered his eyes and squeaked in embarassment.

It finally dawned on Rhys what Jack intended to do.

"Uh, w-we can all be friends and talk about this!" Rhys was waving his arms around in a panic. He had to stop this!

"Last chance, pumpkin, move or you will regret it."

"Jack, it's just pee! You had to take a bath anyways!" Rhys tried. "You, you really couldn't have smelled any worse!"

Jack finally turned his focus on him. Rhys shuddered as Jack narrowed his eyes and let out a loud laugh.

"Ha, ha, _ha_. Did you really just say that?" Jack asked sweetly.

"Um, yes?"

* * *

 

"Come on, Rhysie, _it's just pee_." Jack drawled as Rhys bawled his eyes out.

The little imp was crying and looking like a real pathetic mess, drenched in urine, trying to keep the mutt away from him. Skag's really didn't care what there are eating or licking at. Jack stood with folded arms in front of the sitting child, not feeling guilty in the slightest. It was the kid's own fault, he simply could have left or kept his mouth shut.

"Y-you are so, _so_ mean!" Rhys hiccupped.

"Aww, you are hurting my feelings, kid, really."

Jack theatrically rubbed his hand on his chest, making a sad face. Rhys glared with all his might, but his lips were wobbling pretty badly and big, fat globs of tears fell down his face.

"Y-you _peed_ on me!"

"I told you to move away, didn't I?"

"I-I d-did move! You _chased_ me!"

"Hey, stop complaining. I'm not the bad guy here. It's your mutt!"

"Dukino was just excited to meet you!"

"Yeah, so excited that he bit me prior to pissing on my unaware body!" Jack muttered sullenly. "I just acted in self-defense..."

"By peeing on me!"

Now, that was a good glare. At least the kid stopped crying, the tears were annoying, for some reason.

" _Whatever_. It is done. Now we both have urine on us. Jeez, kid, I don't know what you are going to do, but I would _love_ to take a bath right now. Just wash away all this disgusting stuff off my body..."

"..."

"Why do you look so offended? Come on, Rhysie, some of this buildings must have functioning sanitary facilities."

With that parting quip, he turned his back on them and made his way to the next building. The sound of outrage made him snicker, but the sound of little feet trying to catch up to him made him stop, an genuine smile was grazing his lips.

The expression on his face was not anything new, but he still felt like his facial muscles had forgotten and were struggling with it.

It was like putting another mask. Another branding.

A new _being_.

Delicate fingers were hesitantly brushing the back of his right hand.

Jack didn't dare look at him. He silently opened his hand. A giggle and the pressure of grasping fingers were his reward. He took hold of him and didn't let go.

Jack walked on.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
> Thanks for all the support!  
> It took me a long time writing this chapter, because sometimes it just doesn't flow for me (Sry again, English is not my first language and I'm still new to writing).  
> I put some kind of progress report on my profile, which I will update once a month, so you as a reader will know what I'm working on or if I got stuck. Stuff like that.
> 
> Have a nice day! :)


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